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Mescalero man charged with assault

From reports

Posted:
10/02/2012 08:03:07 PM MDT

A federal judge Tuesday ordered a Mescalero man be placed in custody until a detention hearing on assault charges. Anthony John Shanta, 19, was arrested on Sept. 25 after a criminal complaint accused him of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The detention hearing, in federal court in Las Cruces, is scheduled for Oct. 5.

According to the complaint, Shanta allegedly assaulted another member of the Mescalero Apache Nation on July 21. He is accused of stabbing the victim in the neck with a folding knife. The incident, at a residence on the reservation, allegedly happened while the two men were arguing while drinking alcohol. The victim received a five-centimeter-long laceration on the right side of the neck that required medical treatment.

If convicted, Shanta would face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine on each of the two charges.

The case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Mescalero Agency.